Beards Are Sexy
by xyber116
Summary: How Taylor gets his beard.


A/N: I can't believe I actually finished a fic. It's like going for a run after a long time. I came up with this after realizing that Stephen Lang is sexier with a beard.

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><p>118 days ago was the last time he had seen her. Or least that's what he kept saying because for her it felt like only seconds.<p>

But the proof was staring her in the face.

"You look like a caveman," she said. Since it was just the two of them, she dropped the 'sir'. It was just Wash and Taylor when they were alone. Always had been.

He really did look like a caveman with the long hair, beard, and eyes full of wild. The torn clothing only added to enhance the look but he didn't seem to believe her.

"I know the beard must be getting long but it really can't be that bad, can it?" He asked.

She just reached in her bag and pulled out a compact mirror. It had many purposes she reasoned when she packed it.

She opened it and in the firelight he could make out some of the mess of hair that surrounded his head. He grabbed the mirror and did a quick inspection.

In all the years she'd known him, only once had he let his facial hair grow to an unacceptable length and that was only because they didn't have clean water for over a month. Everyone in the unit had become hairy including herself. Even the guys that normally grew beards to fit in with the locals found it rough not to trim. Taylor had shaved as soon as they got to fresh water.

"Shit," he said as he inspected the things in his hair, "I look like a fucking hippie."

"Nope, definitely caveman," she said while laughing lightly. At least he hadn't lost his sense of humor being out here all alone. "I'll give you a haircut in the morning," she said like it was the most natural thing to do.

"Or," he started with a hint of mischief, "I could leave it like this until Guz and the others show up and jump out from behind a tree to scare them."

"No, they'll mistake you for a woolly mammoth and shoot you," she said. That one got him chuckling.

"Okay, hair cut in the morning," he grumbled as they both folded into their respective sleeping bags.

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><p>The next morning he led her to a safe spot that had a tiny creek running through the green grass. Wash would have just been content to sit and look at the scenery all day but they had mission. A hair cut for the Commander.<p>

The first thing she did was to make him wash his hair even though the water was a little cold for a full dunking of his head. Flakes of mud came out immediately and it made him look like a drowned cat. It was hard to hold back the laughter.

Next, she made him sit on a log in the sun. She could see better and it would dry him out a bit.

Then came the scissors, comb, razor, and shaving cream from her bag. This was going to be more difficult than the other hairs cuts she had given. His hair was a ratty mess and normally she'd have clippers. Without them he might end up looking a little lopsided.

Well, at least that was better than being a caveman.

She started on the top, working her way down to the sides and back. It took her awhile to accomplish with just scissors and a comb but it didn't look half bad. Maybe a little longer than he'd prefer but a lot less hippie like.

She started in on his beard which ended up revealing a twig stuck under his chin. She carefully cut away until it was an appropriate length for the razor to handle.

When she went to get the shaving cream, he stopped her.

"Leave the beard. Maybe, just shave the neck, would you?" He said while grasping her wrist gently.

The whole situation suddenly became very intimate.

"You've never grow one before," she said while shaking the can.

"Ayani never liked them," he answered and she dropped the subject.

She applied the shaving cream and moved his chin upwards so she could work. A few swipes later and his neck was clean of hair.

She grabbed the scissors once more and gently ran her fingers through his hair looking for any stragglers. He closed his eyes at the contact and she paused for the briefest of seconds.

"I've missed human contact," he explained and she understood. Even with Ayani being gone for the past few years, didn't mean he had lacked contact. But for 118 days he had nothing.

She found a few long ones in the back and after cutting them she stood back to admire her handy work. All in all, not too bad.

She took a wet wash cloth and removed the excess shaving cream on his neck while he did another inspection with her compact mirror.

"Thanks Wash," he said so softly that she almost missed it. That one sentence was filled with so much emotion. Thanks for the hair cut, thanks for following him through a portal, thanks for always stitching him up, and thanks for saving him when Ayani died.

"No problem Taylor," she said while giving him a bright smile.

They packed up the gear and headed off into the wilderness to avoid dinosaurs and wait for the rest of the team.


End file.
